No More Keeping My Feet On The Ground
by emerie86
Summary: And thirdly—the flowing string of questions that whirred through my brain. Why are all their eyes gold, except for Frankie’s? Why do I get the feeling that something’s very, very wrong here, but I just can’t seem to be afraid of any of it?
1. Preface

his is my first Twilight fic ever. This is a cross over, and it may sound weird, but it's a My Chemical Romance/Twilight cross over. Don't be weirded out. Just read it. I swear you'll love it. Bella, Edward, Emmett, Esme, Carlisle, Alice, Jasper... your favorite vampires plus a new addition :)

I don't own or know Gerard Way or Ray Toro... though I wish I did.

**Preface**

_Cause I've spent the night dancing  
I'm drunk, I suppose  
If it looks like I'm laughing  
I'm really just asking to leave _

Life is full of surprises, but I'm sure that turn of phrase is nothing new to you. I was one of those typically boring, predictable types—with an irritably dry sense of humor and a fascination with the ordinary. I made straight A's all through high school, never attended school dances, parties, or any other social event that might force me to communicate with the opposite sex. I was a jumpy, paranoid guy on the brink of hysteria at any given moment—a mess really—and wouldn't you know that I'm the biggest perfectionist. I chose not to attend the college of my first choice, because I'd be forced to room with someone I didn't know—my best friend since first grade decided to go to University of Southern California. Since I scored unbelievably high on the SAT, had a 4.0 GPA, and a ridiculous amount of volunteer hours, I was a shoo-in with a full ride.

I was sailing through college, numbly aware of my non-existent social life—apart from classes and Ray—my roommate and best friend. Ray is an extremely patient and understanding person, knowing my quirks and OCD tendencies, he stays out of the room most of the time—giving me the alone time I treasure most—that was until I saw _her_.

That brings us about-face to this very moment in time—I sit nervously, fidgeting with my glass of water in an unfamiliar place filled with the smells of tobacco, perfumes and colons of every variety, and the frenzied mass of sweaty bodies, dancing feverishly in the center of the large oval room. Not my typical scene. I drew in a deep breath and sighed loudly, staring at my glass of water that was empty, yet again.

I waved to get the waitress's attention. She was a very pretty girl, tall, blond, tanned skin that would surely be like leather by the time she was 30. She smiled coyly at me, I smiled tightly back, handing her my glass.

"May I have more water please?" I asked, trying not to sound as impatient as I felt. My more-than-human status still didn't keep anxiety at bay. Some luck.

Ray, who was sitting next to me, was entangled in his girlfriend of about a year, Julie, who was a sweet brunette. They fit well with one another, I'm very happy for him; I was beginning to think I was keeping him from having a life.

He looked over at me gulping down the icy water, some dribbling down my chin, my head tilted back.

"Hey, calm down. You're gonna have to hit the can _when_ she does show up." He patted me affectionately on the shoulder.

Julie peered at me with chocolate brown eyes, and her sweet smile that always left a warm feeling in the room—I could see what made Ray fall for her.

"Don't be so nervous Gerard. You're fully capable of sweeping her off her feet and making her yours. Don't doubt yourself so much." She looked at me with a concerned expression that turned upward into a smile.

Although I knew that Julie didn't have the slightest clue as to the _why_ I was nervous, she still did her best to comfort me in any way she could. It had been Ray's decision to keep her out of the loop—for his own peace of mind.

"I don't even know what I'm _doing_ here." I scoffed. The truth was, not that I wasn't confident in my ability to be prince charming for tonight. I was not the same paranoid chump I had been only a year ago—but it was beyond that. I knew she felt strongly for me, as did I for her. The question was, would all the impossible phenomena that had occurred in just a year's time, keep her from choosing me to be something more than just a friend?

I wasn't sure at all.


	2. Collision

**Collision**

I was walking, paranoid as usual, down through campus, checking behind me every few seconds. It was the only way I would have ever seen it coming—the car I mean. She was, dubiously unaware of its fast approach as she accidentally spilled her books on the road. My eyes flashed quickly from the car to her and realized that she was in the path of destruction that it was about to carve through the busy street lined with parked cars. Somehow, instinct took over and my paranoia melted away in that very moment—the moment when I knew that_ her life _depended completely on me.

The adrenaline rush was prophetic as it sped up my heart rate, poured through my body to every available muscle. Before I realized what I was doing, I found myself running at break-neck speed toward her. She still was knelt in the road as I sped between cars, twenty yards away, my feet barely touching the scorching pavement. I heard a voice yelling, some people gasping at the horror that was about to occur right before their eyes, but they weren't close enough to warn her.

I ran across the street adjacent to the oncoming vehicle, which was about thirty yards from its unsuspecting victim now. The world was a blur as I raced to save her unsuspecting life. The screeching of tires finally got her attention. Her expression was incredulous. She looked from the murder machine headed straight for her, less than twenty yards away, then her eyes locked on mine. Something happened in that moment I cannot explain fully with words. I felt as if I was not even running, but flying towards her, never losing eye contact. My mind worked quickly and I saw a truck that was parked directly behind her, it was raised above the pavement enough for me to hurl her under, out of the path of destruction that was now less than ten yards away.

I dove fast, hard. My arms wrapped around her in a matter of seconds and I shielded her with my body and rolled her over me using the force of inertia. She slid easily underneath the truck with a thud against the curb, my body bounced awkwardly next to hers. I turned, to see her wide eyes grow even more and I clutched her body next to mine and shielded her from the oncoming barrage. Glass was shattering, metal scraping, crunching, tires still screeching—but all I remember hearing was the sound of her labored breathing, and the feel of her body pulsing in my arms. Suddenly all was silent, aside from our breathing. I slowly released her from the clutches of my arms, but still felt the sensation of her body pulsing. I soon realized that her arms were wrapped—more like wrenched around my body, her face buried in my chest. My arms fell gently around her, though the situation was not the typical for such a sentiment, I was not about to pass up physical contact with a female, especially one who clung to me as if life depended on it.

Then there were voices, the sound of feet running on the pavement, and yelling—lots of yelling.

I brushed her hair away from her face and lifted her chin to look at her heart-shaped face. She slowly looked up with grateful eyes, she smiled a smile that sent my heart into frenzied palpitations.

"Are you alright?" I asked, trying to find my voice, but getting so lost in her emerald green eyes.

She nodded, her eyes wondering over my face.

"You're bleeding" she said, reaching up, her fingers hovering over a wound on my forehead; her nose crinkled up a bit. I must have smacked my head as I slid under the truck. I ignored her comment and tore my eyes away from hers to look her over.

"Are you sure you're okay?" I asked, again, still not sure that she had made it under the truck unscathed. She wriggled and removed her arms from around me, and onced over herself. She smiled cheekily at me, "I'm sure, thanks to you." Her eyes held that same gratitude as before.

She paused, her face thoughtful. "Where did you come from?" she asked, her voice was sweet—like creamy caramel. Her eyes wondered over my body, suddenly her eyes grew wide again.

"Oh my gosh! You've got glass in your leg!" she shrieked, her hands flying to her mouth, her green eyes wide.

That's when I began to actually feel the pain.

"Oh crap. I do. Wow. That kinda hurts." I said, incredulously. I could feel the rise of paranoia in my throat, staring at the rather large shard of glass sticking out of my thigh through my jeans. Then a warmth I've never experienced before washed over my face. I looked forward to see her eyes, only inches from mine, her petite hands cupping my face.

"I owe you my life." She said in a near whisper. I could feel her warm breath on my face, taste her smell in my mouth. I fought back the paranoia with all the available strength of my mental faculties.

"Your life is yours. I wasn't about to see you get crushed to death in front of me when I could do something about it" the words popped from my mouth as if they'd been pre-conceived. WOW. I've never been able to just talk to a girl, but these were extenuating circumstances. The paranoia fought back.

Her face softened into a sweet smile, she chuckled lightly, and ran the back of her hand down my face.

"Still, that was unbelievably heroic of you. I am in your debt." She said it like it was fact, rather than a circumstance.

I battled the paranoia and hysteria down again, my heart racing in my chest like a hemi.

I looked back up at her grateful eyes once more and nodded, closing my eyes to the pain radiating from my leg.

"Hey, I think she's okay!" I heard a voice say.

We had been discovered.

"Are you alright miss?" a male voice asked, it was obvious he hadn't seen me yet.

"I'm fine" she said quickly in her caramel-smooth voice that danced off my ears like sweet ice cream. "But he's injured somewhat, he's got a huge shard of glass in his leg" I could tell she was on the verge of tears, but I couldn't rip my eyes open enough to confirm the suspicion. So I concentrated on her voice.

I then felt her hands on my face once more. "What's your name?" she asked in an almost hushed whisper.

"Gerard" I said weakly, feeling fatigued from the exertion and probable blood loss.

"Do you have ID on you? A wallet perhaps?" she asked again, apparent that she was bent on keeping me conscious.

"Uh-huh." I muttered, weakly pointing to my back pocket to where my wallet was securely settled.

I felt her hands grope over me and carefully remove the wallet without disturbing my leg, jeans, or glass.

"Gerard Arthur Way" she said in a whisper, her breath pulling me out of the drifting numbness the pain caused.

My eyes opened. Her lips fell softly to my cheek in a careful kiss, and then she moved her lips to my ear. "You're my rescuer. I will make sure you are taken care of." Her promise rang in my ears like an alarm clock, waking me up to the reality of the situation.

She kissed my cheek again and placed her hand gently on my arm. "They're removing the other car so they can get you on a stretcher."

The paranoia and panic set in, again. I was deathly afraid of hospitals, and even worse—ambulances.

She must have seen the fear etched across my features, because she laid a reassuring hand on my face and put her lips to my forehead.

"Don't worry. I'll be with you." She promised again. I was beginning to believe her.

Suddenly I realized that I didn't know iher/i name.

"What's your name?" I croaked, feeling more fatigued by the energy I was using to lift my head to look at her.

She smiled a heart-stopping smile, and I was surprised that mine kept beating.

"Rosaleen" she murmured in a quiet voice, her penetrating eyes locked on mine.

I couldn't move. I mused her name over and over again in my head. "Rosaleen" I finally said, my voice no more than a strained whisper.

Suddenly the truck rocked back and forth violently above us. This time, she sheltered ime/i from the onslaught of glass shards and metal scraps that filled the air as the wrecker moved the demon vehicle from the side of the truck.

She hid my face in the crease where her neck and shoulder met, and there I could smell her wonderful scent—like apples, light and comforting. It was the only thing that kept me calm, as the shrieking of metal against metal threatened our lives again from above. She gripped me tightly, and I wasn't sure if she was more afraid of the sound, or the chance that I could get injured further.

Another window busted out and the glass flew through the air like a rain of death. My body tensed next to hers and she quickly crushed my face against her neck and carefully threw herself over my body to shield me from the glass.

I was stunned. I opened my eyes and pulled away to look at her. A small bit of blood dripped from her shoulders onto my shirt. Her eyes were deathly serious.

A thunderous cry interrupted the shattering glass and I realized that it came from my mouth. All time seemed to stop and I cradled her in my arms, forgetting the pain I felt in my leg.

"Stop! You're hurting her! There's glass EVERYWHERE!" I shouted in a frenzied panic, clutching her in my arms. Two faces appeared at the side opposite from where the glass came, offering their hands for service. I carefully scooted my body, making sure she was atop me the whole time to avoid the glass that littered the ground beneath my body. I considered the pain of the piercing glass through my clothes little sacrifice, compared to the agony I felt when I saw the fear and torment mingled in her eyes.

"Be gentle" I urged, not wanting to let go of Rosaleen, but knowing it was for the best at the moment.

The two men took her gently from beneath the truck and out into the sunlight.

I struggled for a moment to pull myself from the wreckage, but I soon found two familiar hands in mine, pulling me out from the undercarriage of the truck. I looked up to see Ray's worried face a foot above mine.

"What the heck happened man?" he asked. His eyes ambivalent, not sure what to make of the situation.

I suddenly realized this was a situation that was completely uncharacteristic of me. This is the type of disaster that I avoided like the plague. I looked up at him, incredibly proud of my bravery.

"I had to save her" I murmured.

Rosaleen! My mind was suddenly brought back to her.

"Where is she?" I asked, worry piercing through me like a sickness.

"The girl? They're putting her on a stretcher right now" he said calmly, still confused as to my presence in this situation.

I bolted up to my feet, probably not the best idea, and painfully limped over to where she lay motionless on the sickingly white stretcher. I noticed blood drops around her shoulders and my eyes carefully examined her face. I reached out to touch her cheek with the back of my hand.

Her eyes opened. The fear melted away from them as she saw my face. My heart skipped a beat.

Her lips pulled into a slight smile. I grinned like an idiot.

She reached out and grabbed the hem of my un-tucked white polo, now smattered with blood, and tugged me closer. My arms fell gently around her head, careful not to touch any wounds. She grasped my body like I would disappear if she didn't hold me close.

I kissed into her hair, taking in her comforting scent once more.

"Will you be at the hospital?" she asked, hesitantly letting go to look in my eyes.

I glanced down at the now broken-off shard of glass still imbedded in my leg. I grinned again.

"I'm sure I'll be needing some stitches for that" I summated, looking her in the eyes.

She smiled too, pulling me forward into another embrace. I pecked her on the forehead once more before allowing the EMT's to do their job.

I watched the ambulance until it disappeared behind the elm trees that lined the street.

"Shouldn't you be getting in an ambulance?" Ray asked me. I hadn't even noticed he was standing beside me.

"Should I?" I asked innocently, ignoring the thousands of stabbing pains that raced like lightning through my body.

He raised an eyebrow. "Yeah, you should. You're bleeding like crazy."

"I need a medic!" Ray shouted over to the ambulance that was about 20 yards away.

Two medics quickly pulled a stretcher from the vehicle and raced towards us. It was at that very moment my adrenaline rush completely disappeared. I was left feeling excruciatingly weak. Ray put his arms around me to support me as he helped me onto the stretcher. I was far too exhausted to even begin to allow my paranoia of ambulances to take over. It took far too much energy to be paranoid in the first place.

Ray road in the back of the ambulance as requested by me—he explained my abnormal fear of ambulances and hospitals and claimed he was the only person on earth who knew how to keep me calm.

It was true, of course.

Right up until today.


	3. Conversational Hearts

Thanks for the reviews so far. I don't honestly expect this to get too many hits because Bella and Edward are not the main characters. But, for Emmett, Alice, Jasper lovers... then Enjoy. If you read, do not leave without reviewing. That is rude. At least let me know what you think about it.

**Conversational Hearts**

Sixty-eight stitches covered my back and head in various places. It didn't hurt as bad as it looked. My raven hair covered most of the stitches on my scalp after the bandages were taken off. It was rather uncomfortable to wear a shirt for a few days after the accident—and I couldn't stand the sound of the stitches scraping against my black cotton sheets at night. I slept on my sides, with a thin wool blanket beneath me to keep from hearing that wretched sound. Despite the inconveniences the accident caused, the parameter of effects it had on my life went far beyond the short hospital visit and stitches.

Rosaleen had over one-hundred stitches covering her from shoulders to the bend of her knees. The black stitches were a sickening contrast to her porcelain-pale skin, but she showed a brave face—because she was indeed alive. She had a considerable amount of blood loss resulting from the many glass shards that pelted her back during the accident; this required her to have a blood transfusion. She was kept for three days at Good Samaritan Hospital in East LA—only four miles from campus.

She smiled hazily at me as I entered her hospital room early the third morning after the accident, her bronzy-red hair falling angelically around her fair face.

"Did I wake you?" I asked quietly, looking at her through my dark lashes.

She shook her head in a 'no' and held her hands out for me to take them. I breathed deeply, forcing my heart to beat regularly in order to keep from hyperventilating, as I grasped her delicate hands. They were soft and warm; comforting and inviting—the exact opposite as this bleak hospital room. She was the only thing that made me feel at ease in this room with the sterile smells and bleached white walls.

I perched myself on the edge of her bed, grasping her hands, running my thumbs over her fingers slowly, locking the way it felt away in my brain forever. We sat in a comfortable silence, I don't even know how long—but I didn't care—she wanted me there and that was all that mattered.

After the long silence she was the first to speak.

"I spoke to my family on the phone last night—after the doctor finally removed all the glass from my back" she paused, her shimmering emerald eyes mesmerizing me once again.

I blinked my eyes quickly to regain focus on what she was saying. I smiled to encourage her to finish.

"And they—they want to meet you." She finished abruptly. Her posture tensed but she did not remove her hands from my own.

My heart assaulted the inside of my chest at her words. She looked up at me, her eyes slightly alarmed. I realized my eyes were wide in shock—not that I should really be shocked that her parents want to meet the guy that _heroically_ saved their daughter's life.

"Are you okay with that?" she asked, her eyes cautious and wondering over my whole expression. There was something that she didn't want me to see, feel, or know; I could feel it.

I swallowed hard. I didn't honestly know what to say. How could I refuse this? On one hand it seemed that I was being welcomed, but she didn't seem to see it quite as such. I _had_ saved her life, but I am no savior. I'm just a boy, not a hero.

"I guess so." I gulped, feeling more like an idiot. I attempted to recover.

"I suppose that they'd be grateful for what I did. It is perfectly logical that they would want to meet me after what happened."

I glanced to her face, expecting to find a quizzical expression, but her lips were curved upward into a small smile, a slight giggle passed between her lips, her sensationally green eyes piercing mine.

"What?" I questioned. I wondered how something I said could be so amusing.

"You're just different from anyone that I've ever met." Her voice was soft and reserved.

I scowled slightly at her comment.

"How am I different?" I questioned, my own mind predicting the possible answers that she could give. _You talk funny; you have horrible social skills…_the list could go on and on.

She tilted her head to the side, her flaming hair falling over her shoulders. My heart skipped a beat every time her hair fell differently around her angelic face. I found new beauty from every angle.

She interrupted my day-dreaming thoughts with the answer to my question.

"I don't know. You seem—very genuine and—fresh. Like you've never been tainted by the droning of everyday life or accident; time seems to stop with you." She paused again, breathing in deeply, pondering.

Her eyes wandered over my features, then down to our hands, still clasped together. All of a sudden an unfamiliar tension filled the space between us. It wasn't unpleasant, but it was completely alien to anything that I have ever felt.

Blood rushed up to her cheeks and they flushed a lovely shade of pink. Most people would look away from someone at this point, but I couldn't help but stare at how it enhanced her beauty. Her eyes darted from my eyes to our hands multiple times before I cracked a smile, and suddenly the intensity of the tension faded, but some remained. I released her hands and stroked her left arm affectionately, glancing at the small amount of freckles on her fair skin.

She took a breath and looked at me with eyes that seemed to open up to a thousand different questions—but she remained silent, content to just gaze into my own hazel eyes.

Usually, this much eye contact would have to be forced upon me by teachers, my parents, and other authoritative figures who thought it rude that I did not look them in the eye. But here with Rosaleen, it seemed utterly effortless—it would have almost been painful to look away.

"There's something about your eyes that make me—make me want to tell you every secret I've ever kept" she blushed that lovely shade of pink again, and I continued to stare at her in adoration. I smiled lightly and tried to keep my excitement under wraps, glad that my Italian completion kept my embarrassment and paranoia from betraying me on my face.

"That sounds so—." She paused again, thinking of an appropriate word; all the while my heart felt like it was going to beat itself into pieces inside my chest. I fought with all of my ability to not let it show. "Girly, silly, melodramatic… take your pick." she scoffed; she was talking to me, but it seemed more like she was outwardly scolding herself.

I could feel my brow furrow in confusion. I was suddenly jealous of her ability to be so honest, and it almost angered me to think she could think that it was a bad idea to be so honest with me.

"What?" I retorted quickly, wishing I had sounded a tad more gentle. Her eyes opened wide in defense, I could see the tears, that weren't yet forming, begin to build up. It was then that I saw her raw beauty—that's the only way I can think of to describe her. Eyes as green as the Irish landscape reflected deep thoughts from a deep, old soul that was gentle and compassionate; her lips were full, red, and lovely. Her bronze hair framed her porcelain completion perfectly, making her look completely fragile.

I shook myself from pondering her exquisiteness, "Don't be afraid of being honest. I promise any word spoken to me, will be safe." I felt confident as I spoke; not knowing where the sudden boost of self-esteem came from. I was glad to have it regardless.

Her vulnerable eyes beamed with a light that I've never seen before. I suddenly realized that tears were silently making their way down her soft cheeks, which were reddened by 

the blush when she realized she was crying. Instinctively, my hands wrapped gently around her head and pulled her to my chest. Her arms wrapped around me

Suddenly, it occurred to me, that she was new at this as I was. The idea completely obliterated every assumption I had previously made about Rosaleen. I took her for one of those socialites—you know the type of girl who is sophisticated and is the center of attention.

"Gerard" she murmured into my shirt. My heart was thumping furiously inside my chest and I strained to gain control.

"Yes?" I asked cautiously, looking down into her eyes of deep green honesty.

"I want to thank you—again. I know you said that I didn't owe you, but I really have to disagree. I will feel in your dept if I don't do something for you." She stuttered the words out, obviously nervous.

"Is there something that you need, or want? Something that I may be able to provide?" she asked, leaning away from me now, looking at her hands.

My heart lept up into my throat; talk about opportune moments. I'd let so many chances go by, without even giving them a second thought. I was not about to let this one pass me by. I bit my lip, eyeing her warily; I wanted to proceed with care.

After a moment of silence, she looked up at me expectantly. I half-smiled at her, she winced in return, fearing my answer.

I composed myself, and gazed into her eyes carefully.

"I would take nothing more or less than just being able to see you on a regular basis." I stated boldly.

Her expression lightened at my words. I breathed relief.

"So you just want to hang out?"

I nodded.

"Nothing else? That's it?"

I nodded again.

"Wow. Most people would have asked for money or something… else" she seemed awed.

"Well you _did_ say that I was different from anyone you'd ever met" I retorted.

"Touché." She giggled, her lips curling up into a bright, lovely smile.

She held her hands out for me to take once more. My heart fluttered like an eagle raising hurricane force winds. Her smile was more than I could handle, it was a sweet, fierce pain that riddled me in nerves and nostalgia. A smile in my heart that couldn't be wiped away, and that's what I really liked about Rosaleen.


	4. Forward Motion

Thanks for reading and reviewing. I've got 72 hits, and 4 reviews. Something is seriously wrong here. So please be curtious and review.

I do not own Gerard Way or Ray Toro. But as it still stands. I still own Teh Julie.

I was listening to 'Forward Motion' by Relient k.

Enjoy

**Forward Motion**

The nurse came in to change Rosaleen's bandages for the fourth time, so I had to leave the room once more. My stomach had been growling with hunger, but I ignored it to stay just a few more moments in her radiant presence. I couldn't help but be drawn to her—she was so refreshing—she made me feel like the whole other person that I was meant to be, instead of the paranoid hermit that I had turned myself into.

I walked along the hospital hallway, in search of some sort of food, when I saw a little brunette that I recognized. She was taking in her surroundings, looking slightly apprehensive, then, suddenly smiling brightly when my eyes caught hers.

"Gerard!" she stammered, bounding up to me and throwing her arms around me.

"Julie!" I groaned in pain, her arms allowing my stitches to catch onto the thin fabric of the cotton t-shirt I wore.

"Oh gosh, I'm so sorry!" she apologized profusely, gently letting me go.

My eyes lit up the moment I saw Ray standing only a few feet behind Julie, chuckling at her enthusiasm.

"Hey man. I was kinda wondering when you were gonna show up here." I exclaimed, embracing my best friend in a quick hug.

He grinned at me as he wrapped one arm around Julie's shoulders and squeezed her to him. "Well I figured, that if you were okay enough to hug and kiss a perfect stranger in front of at least one-hundred spectators, that you'd be okay if I left the hospital for the night." He chuckled once more, leaning down to kiss into Julie's chocolate brown hair. She looked up at him all googly-eyed, and then turned back to me.

"So what's her name?" she asked. I could just feel the excitement radiating from her. My mind recalled all the times, in the few weeks she and Ray had been officially dating, that she tried to convince me to double with them and a random girl-friend of hers. The memory still gave me the creeps. Being subjected to the public, much less paired with a random girl, was not my idea of fun in any sense of the word.

"So? Are you going to tell us?" Ray questioned, waving his calloused hand in front of my face.

"Oh. Sorry." I murmured, bringing myself back to the present. "What was the question again?" My mind had been so many different places in the last 24 hours, I'm not sure if I know what year it is, much less what day.

"What's the girl's name? You know the one you saved?" Ray asked; I could hear the ambivalence in his voice, but I'm sure it wasn't meant for my ears.

"Rosaleen." I whispered, remembering how she sounded when she said her own name. My voice didn't do the beauty of her name justice.

"That's a beautiful name." Julie said, her face full of awe.

Ray grinned at me stupidly, and then softened his smile. "Something about this girl's brought out a side of you that I'm not sure I've ever seen." He paused—"I'm actually kind of baffled." he confessed.

"You have no idea how confusing it is" I muttered.

"Then enlighten us." Julie grinned, obviously intrigued by my actions.

I pinched the bridge of my nose and furrowed my brows, closing my eyes. Rosaleen's face flashed into my mind. There was something calming about her green eyes, something that I couldn't put my finger on—and I'm not sure that I wanted to even begin to ponder that idea at the moment.

"Why don't we make this less public?" I asked. Being away from Rosaleen for the first time in hours, I realized the anxiety that flushed through me without her presence. The paranoia of being in a public hospital was starting to creep back up.

I flashed a quick glare at Ray, letting him see the hysteria in my eyes. His eyes darted around the hallway, then he motioned with his head to the vending machines in a small corner at the end of the hallway.

We quickly shoved ourselves into the smaller space, I sighed, relieved to be out of the public eye. It was so funny that the attention never bothered me when I was with Rosaleen, then again it could be that I saw no one but her.

"So spill it" Ray commanded in an affectionate way, flashing his crinkly-eyed grin at me.

I sighed. I wasn't sure if I had completely figured out what was going on. I was almost afraid to talk about it, for fear of it not being real at all. Boy, am I seriously paranoid.

"I'm not sure what exactly happened. It was almost like a movie, and I remember watching myself running to get her out of the way of the car." I paused, remembering the first time our eyes met. I realized that it wasn't fear in her eyes that I'd seen, but something else. Ray's voice shook me from my thoughts.

"So? What do you _think_ happened?"

"I—I knew that I couldn't let her just—die. I had to do something for once in my life, and it was in my power to control, so I did." I was just as baffled at my confession as Julie and Ray looked, though I composed my face a bit more than they did.

Both their jaws dropped; I thought Julie's eyes were gonna bug out of her head. I couldn't help but giggle at her.

Suddenly the three of us were a pile of giggles on the floor, I'd never felt so relieved to confess anything in my life. Julie's delicate hand touched mine, she looked up at me in honest adoration. "You're a lot braver than you give yourself credit for. I'm so proud of you!" she squealed, her hands flying in the air in excitement.

I was in awe of the sensation that filled my body. I was jittery, but not nervous. I felt like I was going to fly to pieces at any second, but it felt great.

Read and Review please!! More reviews ensure a quicker post of my next chapter (which is already written and is in Rosaleen's POV)


	5. Famous Last Words

Alas, I do not own any of the characters you recognize. They all belong to Stephanie Meyer.

Rosaleen's POV

**Famous Last Words**

I sighed in exasperation as the nurse changed my bandages for the umpteenth time today. She was a nice, elderly woman, but I wasn't used to so much human physical contact, so it unnerved me quite a bit. Her scent was overwhelming, like baby powder, cheap perfume, and shampoo—I desperately held my breath—it's not like I really needed to breathe anyway—but I could still smell it.

"Alrighty darling, that'll do ya" she smiled triumphantly, placing the last bit of bandage adhesive on a long row of stitches on my back.

I smiled tightly at her, still not breathing. I knew her work would be in vain because as soon as my family arrived, I knew my wounds would be immediately healed.

She left the room quietly and I let out a rush of breath and inhaled the uncontaminated air as I recalled back to the moment I first caught sight of Gerard. His piercing hazel eyes lit a fire in me that I'd never experienced before—in all the years of my life. They were deep, smoldering, and wonderful—and to hear his heart beat! It was like music to my ears. I've had many reactions from males through the years to my "exceptional" beauty, but those all paled in comparison to how his heartbeat sputtered inside his chest at the very sight of me; and he always looked so serene and calm. It was a complete enigma to me.

Most males I encountered I knew were attracted to me. I'd smelled their hormones, when I passed them by, and I always rolled my eyes, disgusted at their reactions and body language toward me. But Gerard—now, he was very, very different. I was used to guys ogling me, lusting after me, and some even trying to actually touch me. But Gerard, now he was the exception. I don't know why.

He smelled so…so _euphoric._ I'd never smelled anything like him in all my years. I remember the way my father described my mother's scent when they first met. How she called to him and entranced him—how _strong_ the yearning to be in her presence was. Now I think I finally understood.

I listened intently to find his mesmerizing heartbeat among all the people that buzzed around the hospital. My beauty and sense of smell weren't the only 'exceptional' things about me. It took a few minutes but I honed in on him—but it wasn't sputtering frantically like when he was with me—but beating at a normal, healthy rate. It was the most wonderful sound in the world.

I sighed and brought myself back, remembering that my family would be here in just a few hours. I'd never heard Emmett sound so upset over the phone before… well not since Rosalie…

I shook my head to push away the piercing pain of the horrid memories.

I brought myself back to the conversation with my family just a few hours earlier.

"_Hello darling" my father's velvet voice sounded in the crackly phone line._

"_Hey daddy" I greeted him hesitantly. Nothing like this had ever happened to me before. I was still feeling odd from the blood transfusion. I wasn't sure that it was a good idea… my body was most definitely NOT normal._

"_What's going on?" I heard Jasper's concerned voice in the background. Dammit. Even over phone lines that vampire could sense my uneasiness. _

"_Rosaleen, is there something you want to tell us?" My father questioned. I could hear the worry in his voice._

"_Yes. That's if Alice hasn't already told you." I scoffed. I loved her, but boy could she burst someone's bubble._

"_I take offence at that!" I heard her musical voice shout in the background._

"_I need to talk to Carlisle. Well, you all might as well hear it. Put me on speaker." I demanded._

_I heard a click and then the hum of voices coming through the microphone._

"_We're all here sweetie." I heard my mother say gently._

_I gulped hard._

"_Rosie, please. The suspense is killing me" I heard Emmett gush._

_I smiled. Emmett was my very best friend. I loved him dearly. Sometimes I thought he was more protective over me than even my father, if that were possible._

"_Alright. Well, please don't overreact. There was an… accident. I swear I'm fine. But a boy… he…he saved me." I stammered. I felt like a fool trying to describe what happened._

"_What happened?" I heard Esme's voice sound gently. She technically was my grandmother, but the word 'grandmother' or 'mamaw' did no justice to her beauty—as she only looked about 10 years older than I was._

"_Well, I was walking back to my apartment from class. I had an armload of books…and… I was walking across Tate St. I kinda tripped over something and dropped them all in the street." I listened intently for their reactions._

_I heard Alice giggle, Jasper chuckle, and then Emmett's booming laugh._

"_You are JUST like your mother" I heard Emmett roar through the phone in laughter._

"_Thanks a lot" I heard my mother scoff._

_I heard a "SHHHH" and then they all stifled their giggles._

"_What happened next?" I heard Carlisle's voice for the first time in the conversation._

"_I bent down to retrieve them, and…" my mind flashed back to seeing Gerard's eyes for the first time._

"_And….?" I heard Emmett's expectant voice hum through the line._

"_And well, I was bent down picking them up and then I heard screeching tires." _

_I heard some gasps. My father and Esme, always the two worry warts. _

_But I continued, "And then I saw him… a boy… he was running toward me… faster than I've ever seen any human move." He __**was**__ moving uncharacteristically fast for a human._

"_And then he grabbed me and rolled me over himself and slung me under a truck that was parked on the side of the road."_

_No one made a sound as I spoke._

"_Then the screeching tires got closer and the oncoming vehicle slammed into the truck we were under. He held me and shielded me from the barrage of glass and metal." I paused to remember the sounds. "Oh, Emmett, they were the most horrifying sounds I've ever heard. Metal against metal."_

_I could almost feel the tension coming through the phone line. _

"_Oh Rosaleen! Are you sure you're alright?" Emmett's urgent, worried voice cracked. I knew that his stomach was in knots just hearing me describe it._

"_Yes, Emmett, I promise. After it was over, he let go of me, and made sure that I was alright."_

_I then heard Alice giggle, and hoped she'd keep whatever she just saw all to herself._

"_But he was the one who'd gotten hurt. He had a cut on his head, and glass in his leg…" I paused remembering the smell of his blood. "And… Father, his blood... it… it sings to me." _

_More gasps. These were from Jasper, Emmett, and my mother._

"_I knew it would happen to you some day my love." My father spoke sincerely._

"_What did you do?" I heard Emmett ask, now in a child-like wonder and fascination, is mood swinging right back._

_Pfft. Leave it to Emmett to ask what happened and sound like he didn't care if had sunk my teeth in to my unlikely savior._

"_I stopped breathing. I didn't fear losing control, it was just that it smelled __**so strongly**__ and I wasn't sure what to do, so I took a precaution."_

"_Good girl" Carlisle praised._

"_So what happened next?" Jasper questioned, I could hear him smiling. I knew he could feel the excitement bubbling over me—even through the phone line._

"_I… well I thanked him for saving me." I sputtered, trying to conceal my feelings._

"_Looks like you did a little more than that." Alice scoffed._

"_Huh?" I heard Emmett question._

_I growled. Alice and her freak visions._

"_Okay. I thanked him __**and**__ kissed him."_

_More gasps. Then a growl. Emmett._

"_What? You kissed him?" Emmett exclaimed in a stunned voice._

"_Just on the cheek." I added sheepishly._

"_Okay. I still don't see what that has to do with you needing to talk to Carlisle." My mother uttered softly. She could always see past the moment._

"_Oh. Yeah. As the rescue crew tried to get the other vehicle off the truck… it dropped down, nearly crushing Gerard…so I threw myself over his body to protect him." I finished breathless, remembering the feel of his warm body beneath mine, and silently thanking God that my father couldn't use his power through a phone line like Jasper apparently could._

"_Did you get hurt?" Emmett was now a tad more urgent, but subdued._

"_I did, the glass did cut me, but it didn't really hurt" And it was true. I couldn't really feel physical pain—it had to be extreme for me to feel it. Exceptions to that rule were drugs, and I'm talking any drugs. Alcohol, pot—even prescription drugs. Morphine could literally kill me._

"_They didn't give you any medicines did they?" I heard my Father and Esme chant in unison, their voices riddled with worry._

"_No. My insurance card says that I'm allergic to all pain medications."_

_They all breathed a sigh of relief._

"_But I did lose a lot of blood. They gave me a transfusion. I still feel a mite weird."_

"_Oh. Well, as long as they gave you type O negative blood, then it should mix just fine with your blood. It will take at least a week though—your platelets are very different from humans." Carlisle assured me. "and if they gave you any other type—well, you wouldn't be talking to us right now. So I'm sure you'll be fine. But I'll give you a once over when I get there just in case." His words melted away the small gnawing fear in the back of my mind._

"_I suppose," my father started, "That it is in order for us to come and see you—so you can heal quickly." _

"_And meet this heroic boy of yours." Emmett chimed in cheerfully._

I smiled ruefully, remembering the conversation. This is probably going to be the most interesting year of my life.


	6. All Deliberate Speed

I do not own Gerard or Ray--but little Julie is mine!!

Song playing: All Deliberate Speed by Mae

**All Deliberate Speed**

Rosaleen's family was due in within the hour, so I rushed back to my dorm to shower, shave, and put on some parent-meeting appropriate attire.

I raced two steps at a time up the four flights of stairs that led up to the fourth floor of my dorm. I struggled with my keys and jammed it into the lock, turned it, and threw the door open with so much force I almost broke off the handle.

"Whoa. Slow down there fella" Ray greeted me, a look of mock horror on his face.

I let out an exasperated sigh. "Sorry" I mumbled sheepishly, tossing my keys onto my bed and stripping of my shirt, quickly throwing it into our hamper.

I turned around to realize Ray was gawking at me.

"What?" I said, irritation creeping into my voice.

"Man. We've been friends since we were 5, and I have NEVER seen you without your shirt off. Even when we went swimming." He retorted, his mouth still hanging open

It was true. I always took modesty to the extreme, despite my Italian complexion that any girl would envy, I kept my skin covered adamantly. I don't even like looking in the mirror half-naked, but I didn't even feel the slightest bit of apprehension now; I didn't take time to think about it.

I shrugged and moved to my closet to pick out a new shirt.

"Why are you in such a hurry anyway?" Ray composed himself, coming up behind me, inspecting the stitches that were now covered with clear medical tape.

"Rosaleen's family is coming to the hospital to pick her up, and they want to meet me." I stuttered, rummaging through my closet.

"Oh. Okay." He murmured. "You're gonna have some awesome scars dude."

I turned to see Ray smiling his crinkly-eyed smile.

"Only you would say something like that" I scoffed, turning my attention back to my closet. I stared at it and grunted in frustration.

"What's wrong?" Ray asked.

"I really suck at picking out clothes. I haven't the slightest idea of what to wear." I admitted, now feeling stupid for not paying closer attention to my mother's fashion instructions.

"Oh. No problem. I'll call Julie over." He popped out his cell phone and pressed her speed dial.

"Hey baby. I was wondering if you could come up, we've got a fashion emergency."

He wagged his eyebrows at me.

"Yeah, Gerard needs some help, and I'm afraid I've no expertise in this area."

"Alright. See you in a few minutes."

"Bye"

And he snapped his phone shut and shoved it into the pocket of his Lucky jeans.

I plopped on my bed and carefully lay against my pillows, sighing again.

"Hey man. I'm sure they'll like you." Ray murmured as he seated himself on his bed, which was adjacent to mine, and plucked at his guitar.

"Yeah. Well, I'm afraid that they'll be the lawyer/judge/FBI officer type; Or worse… just filthy rich and in no need of some paranoid, socially inept guy hanging out with their wonderfully gorgeous daughter."

"Don't be so hard on yourself. You've come a long ways in just three days. I've never seen you so, so out of your shell before. It's a wonderful sight to behold—to see my best friend who's never been one for being brave… suddenly thrust himself into something he actually cares about…throwing caution to the wind like that? Now's no time to be having second thoughts or turning back. You're in too far now."

I pondered the thought. Maybe he was right. I had really opened up with Rosaleen… just seeing her and holding her hands did worlds of good for my soul. I could feel it deep. Nothing has ever had an impact on me in such a way.

"Hello boys." Julie chimed as she sauntered through our door.

"Hey Jules!" Ray slung his guitar around and it hung from his broad shoulders on his back. He grasped Julie in a warm, affectionate hug. I looked away, feeling uncomfortable, wishing I could hold Rosaleen in that way.

"Hey Gerard. Let's see what we can do for you now." She looked a bit startled by my half-naked appearance, and quickly glanced in Ray's direction. He nodded at her in encouragement.

"Alright Julie-San." I smiled. The last thing I wanted to do was ruin her mood, since she was going to help me.

She launched herself into my closet, going through shirt after shirt… discarding a few button-ups on the bed. Next she riffled through my pants, most of which ended up on the floor in a pile due to how 'out of style' they were.

"When's the last time you went shopping?" she scoffed, tearing through my dresser drawers.

"Uhm…" I looked to Ray for some sort of support. He raised his arms in defense.

"Don't look at me. You were the one who refused to go shopping before the semester started. You muttered something about malls and death." He looked like he was enjoying my agony. Prick.

"Well, we'll just have to update your wardrobe soon." I could hear the threat in Julie's voice. I gulped.

After a few more minutes of pondering between a few different shirts, Julie finally settled on a black, long sleeved, button up, a pair of Ray's Abercrombie jeans, and an American Eagle belt. I wore my black etnies because I refused to wear those uncomfortable leather dress shoes.

Soon I was dressed and not looking half bad. Julie carefully ran a comb through my hair, avoiding the stitches, and styled it to sweep across my forehead, and hang over my ears. I must say I never thought of fixing it like that before. It looked nice. I hardly recognized myself.

I breathed in deeply and closed my eyes in attempt to calm myself. My heart was already starting to go into overdrive and I hadn't even left my dorm.

"Stop that." I heard Julie scold me.

I opened my eyes to see her chocolate brown eyes peering up at me. She had wonderfully gorgeous hair and skin. She gently folded her arms around me in a quick hug and then brought her hands up to cup my face.

"Repeat after me." She commanded in a lilting voice. "I will remain calm."

I furrowed my brows at her in frustration.

"Way. Just do it" I heard Ray whine.

I sighed. "I will remain calm." I stated in a flat tone.

"I look awesome." Her eyes burned into mine and I couldn't refuse her help. She was far too scary.

"I look awesome." I stuttered.

"I am a wonderful, amazing person and Rosaleen is lucky to have met me." She smiled now, erasing the creepiness from her face.

Ray chuckled.

"I am a wonderful person and Rosaleen is lucky to have met me."

She let go of my face and hugged me gently. I sighed and hugged her back.

"Thanks Julie-San." I teased, smiling as I released her.

I turned and grabbed my keys off the dresser and headed for the door.

"Well guys, I'm off. Thanks for all your help."

They waved and smiled, and with that, I headed off to meet Rosaleen's family.

-

Review like your life depended upon it.


	7. When your body wants to run

Sorry it took so long to update. I just finished chapter six this morning... so I figured since no one's actually reviewing this like I'd want.. I'd just post at my own leisure. I hope you enjoy it. The story gets going faster in this chapter.

Song: Warrior Poet by The Classic Crime (seriously, check it out)

**When your body wants to run, but your heart knows you're better than that.**

Fear gripped my heart as I neared the hospital alone. It was just after dusk, and the sky was filled with the fading pink and purple hues of a sunny California day. I took in a breath of untainted air and held it for a second, whispering prayers that I hoped God would grant me.

I let my breath out in an audible sigh as I entered the building through the revolving doors.

_I made it past obstacle number one: revolving doors. Now on to number to: the terrifying elevator._

The nurse at the front desk, Lola, smiled at me as I walked past her post slowly.

"Headed up to see Miss Cullen?" she asked, a knowing smile painted on her fair lips.

I stopped. _ Cullen? _ My confused look must have tipped her off.

"I mean, Miss Rosaleen Cullen." She tilted her head to the side as if she was expecting an answer with words this time.

_Cullen._ It just dawned on me that I never had bothered to ask Rosaleen what her last name was. What a dummy I am.

"Oh yes, Rosaleen. I'm supposed to meet her family." I paused, taking in a shaky breath, heart pounding. "I don't suppose if you would know if they're here or not?" I asked, uncertain if I wanted to hear the answer to this question.

Then disaster. A huge grin of remembrance flashed across her face; for a moment she looked just like a 16 year old dumbstruck girl having the star of the football team ask her to prom. A cold shiver flashed through my spine.

"hmm. Yes. Quite a large family she has. Very beautiful people. Three females, and five males. Though none looked old enough to be her parents. They came in just after sunset." She mused, staring past me to the elevator.

I huffed a sigh.

"Oh well, then I guess I'd better not keep them waiting." I answered, secretly hoping the elevator would crash like so many times I'd always fear it would.

My bad luck just seemed to be getting worse. The elevator made it to Rosaleen's floor without a hitch. I stared nervously as the elevator doors creaked open, my heart assaulted the inside cavity of my chest as I stepped out into the waiting foyer. Gosh was it unnerving to want two completely different things at the same time. My body is aching, screaming at me to run far, far away from here, and my heart and mind would so eagerly jump at any chance of being in Rosaleen's presence once again.

I took in a calming breath and stepped into the hall and closed my eyes. Her angelic face interrupted my thoughts. I loved everything about this face. Her fiery bronze hair, to those amazing green eyes that always makes my breath catch in my throat. And her skin! So warm, soft, and unbelievably beautiful. What I wouldn't do to just hold her in my arms forever.

My thoughts had taken me so far away from the present, that I hardly noticed that I was mere feet from Rosaleen's room.

A peal of musical laughter floated into the hallway, breaking through my fantastical thoughts and bringing me back to the moment.

A lump formed in my throat as my heart picked up speed in my chest.

I slowly took the few remaining steps and breathed in deeply before stepping to the doorframe.

What then came into my line of vision made me feel like I was in a movie. The receptionist was more than right. These people _were_ beautiful. More beautiful than any movie starlet or model I'd ever seen on tv or in a magazine.

The first one that caught my eye was a huge man with a mop of dark curls on his head. He had child-like dimples that graced both sides of his blinding smile. He was standing on the other side of Rosaleen's bed, his hand on her shoulder.

My eyes swept across Rosaleen's face slowly and then to the other person standing closest to her. The woman had dark brown hair that cascaded down her shoulders, and her face was extraordinarily beautiful. I then realized she had the same heart-shaped face as Rosaleen—so they must be kin in some way. Next to the dark brunette stood a young man. He looked barely older that Rosaleen, but there was a sense of ancientness in his golden eyes. He had the same bronze hair as Rosaleen, the same nose and jawline. I quickly assumed that he must be her twin brother, for they had the same delicate fingers that looked suited to playing some sort of instruments.

The person next to the bronze-haired man, was another brunette. She was extraordinarily beautiful, but had a motherly aura about her face. She was delicate and exuded calmness in me. The man that stood next to her held her hand delicately in his own; he was blond and taller than she, and also had an aura of compassion and calmness that surrounded him.

My eyes flipped quickly to the other side of the room. There stood a couple whose arms were wrapped slightly around one another. The male was blond, and his golden eyes more fierce than the rest of his companions. It looked like he was very uncomfortable in this closed in space, so I quickly moved my eyes to his partner.

The small woman he held was a sight to behold. I'd never seen anyone like her. She grinned at me, ruffling her short, disheveled hair with her small hands. She looked so child-like, but I saw knowing wisdom in her eyes.

A cough caused me to move out of my trance and land upon the next person that I had yet to lay my eyes upon. This dark-haired man was noticeably shorter than the rest. His shoulders and harms suggested that he was more muscular than all—with the exception of the huge guy. His eyes were a different color—almost maroon. He smiled was genuine and friendly, though his fists balled up at his sides seemed to suggest otherwise.

"You must be Gerard." A trilling voice stated, rather than asked.

I looked to see the brunette standing directly beside Rosaleen smile at me.

I struggled to find my voice. "Yes, I am" I croaked out. _Dammit, why do I have to be such a scaredy cat all the time?_

The bronze-haired man coughed a laugh, and then quickly regained his composure. I just told myself that he was probably laughing at the stunned expression on my face.

"It's so nice to finally meet you." The woman continued as if there had been no interruptions. I felt a numbness come over my brain—almost like a clouded shield of some sort. Whatever this was, I was happy to feel somewhat less panicked.

I would have sworn I saw her glare at the bronze-haired man standing next to her, but then again my eyes always seemed to play tricks on me.

I forced a smile, quite good might I add. "It's nice to finally meet all of you." I paused, taking in a deep breath, "I must say though, there are a lot more of you than I had expected. I didn't realize that Rosaleen meant her whole family." I chuckled lightly, forcing down the panic in my throat.

"Oh. Sorry about that. I was sure you wouldn't come if I had told you." Rosaleen grinned, chagrin sweeping over her features.

The big guy and I laughed at the same time, nearly startling one another. I regained my focus quicker than he did.

"Oh nonsense. I would have probably done anything you asked me to." I admitted, feeling more confident in myself.

I pulled my hands from inside my pockets and toyed with my belt for a second.

"I love your ensemble." Another musical voice touted to my left.

I looked to see the small, short-haired woman stepping closer to me, releasing the hand of her partner. I smiled in return, reminded of Julie's fashion antics and her threat of taking me shopping.

"Oh, pfft." I scoffed at myself, "I won't pretend that I know anything about fashion. My roommate's girlfriend picked this out for me, after practically throwing my entire wardrobe on the floor and then berating me about how out-of-date my clothes were. She threatened to take me shopping if I didn't go with Ray, my roommate, the next time he went to the mall. She was quite terrifying."

More laughter boomed through the room. It seemed the entire family thought my story was quite amusing.

"Julie sounds just like you Alice!" the brunette stammered through her musical laughter.

So Alice was the small one. I turned my head to see the smug expression on Alice's face—all the while I felt this odd probing in my thoughts. I shook my head.

"Oh. How rude of me." I heard Rosaleen exclaim, as I turned my attention to her from Alice's face.

"hmm?" I hummed in response to her sudden outburst.

"I completely forgot to introduce them to you." She paused, looking to her extreme left, she pointed at the older-looking blond man.

"This is Carlisle, my adoptive father. He's a doctor at a hospital across town."

"This is Esme, my lovely adoptive mother, and Carlisle's mate." She gestured to the motherly brunette at the Doctor's side. Esme smiled lovingly in my direction, and I felt my head swim slightly.

"It's very nice to meet you Gerard." She spoke softly, her voice was soothing and lovely.

All I could to was smile and nod as a response. I hoped it would be enough. Then Rosaleen moved on to the couple on the other side of her bed, one I already knew was Alice.

"Alice is my dear cousin, and this is her mate, Jasper." They both nodded and smiled in my direction.

"The small man there is Frankie. And this—" she patted the huge guy on the arm, "—is Emmett, my very best friend and Frankie's big brother." She smiled widely up at him with her beautiful green eyes. I looked away for a second, because there seemed to be some sort of intimate connection between the two of them.

"I'm Bella, Rosaleen's distant cousin—as is Emmett." The dark brunette chided. _She must have read my mind._ I huffed a sigh of relieve from within.

"Oh yes."Rosaleen murmured, looking away from Emmett only to focus on the bronze-haired man. "And this is my twin brother, Edward." I could have sworn that he winked at her, but then again my mind always plays tricks on me.

Edward reached out his hand with a friendly smile. "It's nice to meet my dear sister's rescuer. We all owe you our deepest gratitude."

I took his hand to shake. _What century did this guy come from? 'Dear sister?' 'deepest gratitude?' _ I pondered as he let go of my hand. Suddenly I was gripped in a bone-crushing bear hug.

"Oh Emmett, you're going to scare him to death!" I recognized the motherly voice to be Esme, as Emmett put me down on the floor. Emmett grinned down at me, a devilishness to his boyish dimples.

"Thanks for saving my Rosie. She means the world to us." He thanked me sincerely as he placed both hands on my shoulders. "Anything you need man, all you gotta do is ask." I could hear the brotherly tone in his voice and immediately knew that I could count on him. I could sense the honesty in his eyes.

"Will do" I responded, punching him playfully on the arm. _Damn, that man is rock hard._ I cupped my hand, trying not to draw more attention to myself, and silently hoped that nothing was broken.

Suddenly all the tension that existed in the room faded—and everyone seemed to relax. It seemed as if they were all awaiting Emmett's approval of me. Even Rosaleen.

Carlisle moved to Rosaleen's side and assessed her condition, speaking in quite murmurs. Esme, Alice, and Bella all moved to my side quickly, and began asking me more normal questions.

"So do you attend the same university as Rosaleen?" Bella asked me, sounding more like a concerned mother than even Esme had.

"Yes. I'm a chemistry/psychology double major." I answered. If they could only keep the questions as easy as this—today would be no sweat.

"That's an interesting combination." Esme summated, lifting her delicate fingers to her chin.

"Yeah, but if you really think about it, it does make sense. Physical chemistry mixed with the psychology of the human mind. There are so many parts of the human mind that are not accessible to us on a normal occasion. There has to be some sort of chemical reaction to gain control or even a peek at those parts of the brain." I found myself babbling about the things that have fascinated and kept me a relative hermit for the most part of my adolescent and adult life.

Their faces seemed to beam in expectation—but Alice was wearing one of her frequent knowing-smiles. I was quickly getting the feeling that there was something more to these people than just their abnormal beauty and strange golden eyes—all except Frankie, who had maroon-colored eyes—I could almost see the auras surrounding each person. Some were stronger than others, like Bella, Alice and Jasper—I could feel that there was something different about the three of them.

Then there was Edward. Though I'd only been in this room with them for about 15 minutes, and I felt strangely comfortable with all of them—with the exception of Edward's probing looks. It was as if I could feel him picking my brain. I fought hard to keep my thoughts closed and worked to concentrate on the conversation at hand. I was getting a headache from it.

It was like my brain was on overdrive—two different trains of thought at once. Keeping up with the lightning-fast conversation with Bella, Alice and Esme— Frankie joining us after a few minutes. Then the aching in my head from the awful probing feeling—somehow knowing that if I didn't fight, my thoughts would not be private. The last thing I wanted was to be an open book.

And thirdly—the flowing string of questions that whirred through my brain. _Why are all their eyes gold, except for Frankie's?_ W_hy do I get the feeling that something's very, very wrong here, but I just can't seem to be afraid of any of it?_

FLIPPING REVIEW THIS. And I'll post the next chapter more quickly. :)


	8. Heaven Help ME

Thanks to all those reviewing this. It means a lot. If you weren't notified, there were changes made to the preface, so have a look at it.

I worked extra hard on this. I just finished up chapter nine, and now I'm trying to find the right title for it.

Song of the day: Heaven Help Us, by My Chemical Romance

* * *

**Heaven Help ** _**ME**_

It was a little past nine in the evening when Rosaleen was released from the hospital. That was after Dr. Cullen bribed the short, mouse-haired female doctor to give the 'okay' with one of those mind-numbingly dashing smiles. If I had that effect on women, I'd be a god.

We all scrunched into the elevator, I was at Rosaleen's side, and Emmett was on the other. The elevator seemed to take forever, and my heart was assaulting the inside of my chest so loud I was sure that everyone could hear it—but I kept the calm facade on my face. Rosaleen's hand brushed mine gently, and she curled her fingers between each one of mine. On any normal day, this would probably have made me faint, throw up, or something else disastrous—but somehow a mere touch from Rosaleen calmed my overworked heart.

Out of the corner of my eye I saw a small smile form on her face, and it made my soul feel more alive than it ever had. The elevator stopped on the floor leading to the 3 story parking deck. By the way the Cullen's all dressed— I assumed that they were in possession of some great amount of wealth. We rounded the corner out of the elevator and made our way down the closest left aisle of the lot, when three _very_ expensive and flashy cars came into my view.

The first was a bright red Saleen S7, complete with the doors hinged on so they'd open up like wings. Its interior was completely black, and leather—of course. The second car was a little less flashy than the first; it was a jet-black Mercedes SLK 55 AMG—I think. I'm not a huge car person, but my small amount of experience in auto shop with Ray had flooded back into my memory. This one was a convertible and very, very sleek—also complete with a black leather interior. The last car was the most luxurious-looking and probably the most expensive—a metallic white BMW M3 Sedan. It was nearly the most glorious vehicle I'd ever seen. Even in the dim light of the parking deck, I could see how well-built, maintained, and _expensive_ this car was.

"Like what you see?" I heard a velvety voice scoff at me.

I suddenly realized that I had stopped walking and that I was now gawking at the three magnificent vehicles in front of me—that cost more than triple my tuition scholarships for school. I regained my composure slowly and turned to who had made the comment.

Edward. If he didn't look so much like Rosaleen, and hadn't had his arm slung around Bella's hip—I would have bet that he had some sort of … thing with Rosaleen. With the way he acted so protectively around her… and instinctively hated my guts… like an ex-boyfriend would. I could almost smell his disdain for me.

I heard him snort.

I finally turned around to face him, wiping the deer-in-headlights look off my face and replaced it with a composed, tight smile.

"Yeah. Are those you guy's cars?" I asked, trying to mask the wonder and frustration at what had confirmed their economical status without my asking.

I could almost _hear_ Edward rolling his eyes at my obviously stupid question. But before I could even feel wounded— I felt a warm hand clasp mine once more. I looked to my right to see Rosaleen peering at me with those mesmerizing green eyes. Her smile was warm and inviting and her scent wafted over my entire being like a protective force field. I was sure I saw her send Edward a warning glare—but then again the light in the parking deck wasn't the best.

"Yes." She stated simply, just answering my question like it was perfectly logical. "The Saleen is Alice's. She won it in a bet with Emmett over a basketball game."

My ears filled with their singing laughter—all but one and Emmett huffed then stomped his way to the BMW and yanked the door open and sat himself inside.

"Wow." I murmured, completely dazed by Emmett's sudden childish fit. Rosaleen giggled beside me and leaned in and whispered into my ear.

"He's a very sore loser." She chortled, her lips brushing my ear gently. Even the slight physical contact of her lips on my skin sent jolts of electricity through my body. It was like I was being electrocuted… but it felt _good._

I tried to hide my, panic wasn't even the right word anymore, my unsettling infatuation with Rosaleen's face so close to mine, with a small smile. I was sure that everyone could hear my heart beat at this point, because it was now fluttering at break-neck speed in my chest. An M3's speed couldn't hold a candle compared to how fast my heart was racing at this point.

I was so dazed that I barely even noticed as the rest of her family began to pile into their respective cars, ever so gracefully.

"The BMW belongs to Bella and Edward, and the Mercedes belongs to Carlisle and Esme." She tugged me gently towards the Mercedes as she spoke, leading me away from Edward's menacing glances.

She opened the door of the sleek, black, god-on-wheels and slid in more gracefully than a ballet dancer could ever hope to be. I slid in beside her, as graceful as an awkward, 5 foot 9, average guy could manage. _At least I'm not as scrawny as Edward._ I thought gleefully; If he had a thing for her, maybe that would play in my favor.

I jumped slightly as Dr. Carlisle revved up the engine and began to pull out behind the convoy of posh and luxurious cars. Rosaleen's hand found mine again in the pitch-black back seat of the Mercedes and I felt her scoot closer to my body, and lay her head against my left shoulder.

I swore I heard her smile as my heart thudded in my chest again at the close contact. _Boy, am I losing it._ She let out a content sigh against my neck and cuddled deeper into my chest. It was only then that I realized the thing that made Rosaleen stand out from her family. I remembered Alice's icy touch, and Emmett's hard, cold bear hug—but Rosaleen's embrace was warm. No. It was hot. It was almost like she was running a temperature. It wasn't uncomfortable to me, just unknown. I mused how odd her family seemed to be; their eye colors, mannerisms—and how they interacted with each other the whole ride to her apartment.

As soon as we arrived at the complex, I realized that they had _drastically_ made an understatement when they said 'apartment'. This was a fricking gated community, complete with actual gates, security guards, and pass codes. Her 'apartment' was more like a townhouse—complete with a mini garden, and a pool in the back.

The car stopped in front of the most elegant building I'd seen, as we drove through the complex. It looked like a mini castle—complete with a small tower in the middle and the south end of the building. It was stone white, with a clay-shell roof. The windows were all small, and there wasn't much shrubbery around the front of it. The entire building had an eerie, romantic glow in the moonlight—and that's when I noticed that it didn't have a pool, she had a whole fricking lake behind the townhouse. It sparkled against the star dotted sky, and I stared at it until Dr. Carlisle pulled into the drive— and that's when I spotted two more cars.

Even in the shadows of the garage, I knew that these two cars were more expensive and flashy than the three I had previously seen. Dr. Carlisle cut the engine, and turned around to face me. He flashed me a small smile and then raised an eyebrow at Rosaleen, who I now had an arm wrapped around. I had been so deep in thought that I hadn't even noticed that she now lay cuddled against me, sound asleep in my arms. Her breathing was shallow and slow, and her temperature seemed to have lowered significantly. I looked over her graceful sleeping form. Her bronze hair was fanned over her left shoulder and her bangs swept gently across her pale, smooth face. Her beautiful lips were slightly puckered and she was breathing in through her mouth. I felt myself grin hugely, and I turned my eyes back to Dr. Carlisle, who was now chuckling.

"She was always the one to fall asleep the fastest" he chortled, turning to Esme and kissing her gently on the nose. He turned his face back to me, "Though, I must say, I don't believe she's ever taken to anyone outside the family as quickly as she's taken to you."

If I could have smiled any bigger, my face would have shattered into a million pieces. I know that Dr. Carlisle and Esme could see the excitement mixed with shock that was etched in a huge, goofy grin across my face. They both chuckled lightly and smiled at me like they knew something that I didn't, but I didn't take time to over-think it because I was more concerned with the sleeping angel in my arms. I furrowed my brow, wondering how I was supposed to get her out of the vehicle without waking her.

Dr. Carlisle had gotten out silently and had ghosted around to Esme's door, and opened it for her. She stepped out quickly and pecked him on the cheek and made her way across the garage. I hadn't even noticed how incredibly _huge_ the garage was. I didn't even have time to ponder that thought, because 

my sleeping angel moaned and mumbled restlessly in my arms. I instinctively rested my head against hers and wrapped my other arm around her sleeping body. I kissed her forehead gently, my lips lingering over her perfectly smooth, overheated skin.

My door opened and Dr. Carlisle bent over to peer in at the two of us.

"Would you like to for me to carry her, or…" he asked, giving me charge of the situation.

I bit my lip pondering how I'd possibly get out of the car without hurting myself or worse—hurting her.

"I don't know how I'm gonna get out without waking her." I nearly whispered, looking over my beautiful sleeping angel. I could feel my heart growing to make room for her at this very moment.

"Oh, don't you worry about that. She could sleep through a hurricane, earthquake, and an explosion—all at the same time." He smiled gently and sniggered, gesturing for me to get out of the vehicle.

"Oh. Well then I suppose I can carry her myself." I stated, not wanting to let go of the beautiful girl sleeping in my arms.

I gently hooked my right arm under the bend of her knees, and pulled her into my lap with more ease than I had expected. The leather seat made it all the more easy to scoot out the door; I stood slowly, making sure all of Rosaleen's body parts had exited the vehicle. As soon as I knew it was safe, I lifted her closer to my chest, surprised that I had the strength to carry another person in my arms. She was warm, comforting, and not entirely as heavy as I expected—or maybe I was just stronger than I thought I was.

Over at the opposite end of the garage, Esme flipped on the lights, blinding me in the process for at least ten seconds. I stopped dead still, for fear of tripping over something and dumping Rosaleen in the floor.

"Sorry, I should have warned you." Esme grimaced, chagrin sweeping over her features for a millisecond.

I blinked a few times and regained my vision. "Oh no, I'm fine. I just didn't want to drop Rosaleen."

Saying her name like that out loud made what seemed to be a dream even more real. I dropped my eyes to her sleeping body curled up in my arms. She was so beautiful, so peaceful looking. Not a care in the world at this moment. Briefly, I wondered what would happen if she woke up and realized I was carrying her—but a low growl came from the other side of the garage. No doubt Edward had seen me carrying his… sister. I was still boggled by how protective…no—possessive he seemed to be over her.

I ignored his rude reaction and walked toward where Esme was standing on the other side of the garage. I eyed the two new cars that I had discovered upon entering the facility.

The first was a classy BMW M6 convertible. I suppose this family was more a fan of foreign sports cars than of American-built cars. It was black, with a white leather interior, complete with an on-board computer, a GPS, 6-CD changer and MP3 player USB port. I stopped short when I saw a name was etched across the bumper in sparking silver cursive: Rosaleen.

The car was perfect for her—and I suddenly felt a chasm of distance split between us in my mind. She was so, very different from me. She had a huge, _beautiful_, family that obviously loved her—and with a bank account that was bursting at the seams. The despair wrenched its way into the new space that had formed in my heart. How could I even think that this beautiful, graceful creature could ever care for me the way I knew I could care for her? My newfound courage had allowed me to be completely diluted in my thinking and reasoning skills. Girls, especially not girls of Rosaleen's caliber, had never taken to me before, so why should now be any different? There really was nothing special about me. Nothing at all—and she seemed to have the world at her fingertips. But, unlike most people, I didn't begrudge her of what she had. She'd made the most of what life had dealt her, and I hadn't. She was friendly, outgoing, and free—and I was panicky, paranoid, and a loner. Those two personalities couldn't possibly mesh well enough to form a strong bond of…

I didn't even let myself think the word. I'd kept it from my vocabulary when it came to girls, because it was just easier not to think of anyone that way. Better not to allow myself any false hope.

Rosaleen shifted in my grasp, and suddenly a wave of peace washed over my entire being. _You are being so melodramatic_. I thought to myself… though I wasn't quite sure where the thought had come from.

I gazed down at the sleeping angel in my arms once more. She nestled her face against my chest and my heart fluttered like a hawk flapping its wings at hurricane-force speed.

Someone cleared their throat at the other side of the garage and I looked up to see that her entire family—except Emmett, was waiting in the doorway for me. Emmett bounded up beside me and grinned widely.

"She's really beautiful when she sleeps." He stated in worship-like awe.

I nodded my head in agreement.

Emmett lead the way past the other vehicle, which I didn't bother to appraise, for fear of falling back into my stupor of despair. The inside of the house was dark, and I assumed we entered in to the living room, because I could make out the shapes of couches and chairs with the bit of moonlight that pooled in through the four large windows that lined the east wall.

Emmett lead me down the hallway and up a flight of stairs, we turned right, and then up another flight of stairs. I soon realized that we were heading for the tower at the south end of the building. That must be where Rosaleen's room was.

He stopped at a large, plain wooden door, and grinned sheepishly.

"I forgot the key, and Rosie'll kill me if I break her lock again." He looked over her sleeping form and bit his lip. "I'll be back in a flash." And then he was gone.

I hefted Rosaleen up in my arms to get a better grip on her. My exhaustion was beginning to creep up on me. But Emmett wasn't kidding, not even two minutes later, he ghosted back down the hallway. How 

a huge dude like Emmett could move with such grace was beyond all my imagination; unless he was secretly a ballet dancer behind all that masculinity and testosterone.

I heard a loud guffaw from somewhere else in the house. I swear it sounded like a stoner's laugh.

Emmett quickly unlocked the door and flung it open quickly and stepped inside. Emmett flicked a light on and the small room quickly came into focus.

The room was simple, yet elegant; and didn't really look different from what a student's apartment would look like—aside from the fact that it was completely spotless.

There were three windows that were evenly spaced—two on the wall facing me, and one adjacent to me on my right; and hard wood floor. There was a beige leather couch and a matching chair, along with a simple wooden coffee table, with a small arrangement of spring flowers in the middle. Two small tables separated the couch and the chair, both with elegant, matching lamps.

I walked unsteadily towards the couch, fearing my arms would soon give in to the exhaustion.

"No, Rosaleen doesn't like sleeping on the couch. I'll show you to her room" Emmett said, turning and making is way down a narrow hallway.

There was another plain, wooden door at the end of the hallway, and Emmett opened it up and then crushed himself against the wall so I could scoot by him, Rosaleen in tow.

Moonlight poured in through five, ceiling-to-floor windows similar to the ones I had seen upon first entering the building. The room was small, but well spaced. She had a rather large, four-poster bed, adorned with a canopy of white lace that hung gracefully. The bed was made neatly, every pillow in its exact place. I was beginning to think that Rosaleen and I had more in common than I had originally thought.

Emmett had entered behind me, and was turning down her covers so that I could place her on the bed. I set her down gently against her pillows, cradling her softly, and slowly removed my arm from under her legs, and then began to remove my other arm from around her torso. Rosaleen muttered and intelligible protest and clung to my chest, wrapping her right arm around my torso.

I looked up to Emmett for some sort of help, or direction.

He held his hands up in a sign of defeat. "I know better than to take what she wants from her." He stated simply, and then ghosted out of the room, shutting the door behind him.

I stared at the sleeping beauty clinging to my body. Suddenly, her eyes were open and she was staring into mine, a hypnotizing effect to say the least.

"Stay." She whispered against the skin of my neck.

* * *

As always, if you read, please review.


	9. CHAOS

**Chapter Eight**

**CHAOS**

_Everything round's breaking down to Chaos_

I'd never been in this type of situation before. I didn't know what to do, so I just stood there, slack-jawed, staring into her face.

"Gerard?" she murmured sleepily into my chest, breathing out a tired sigh.

"Uhm, yeah?" I barely choked out. She nuzzled the skin exposed through the top open button on my shirt with her nose.

"What are you doing?" it was no more than a whisper, but she might as well screamed it at me, for all the good it did at calming my heart down.

She giggled sleepily, kissing the skin her nose had touched. She wasn't helping me try to answer. I took in a ragged breath as she continued to slowly kiss her way up my neck. My heart was doing somersaults in my chest.

The room began to feel stuffy and hot, and I realized my clothes seemed to be choking me. I briefly contemplated taking my shirt off, when I realized my pants felt smaller than they [i]should[/i].

"Shit" I cursed and pulled away from her.

She gasped audibly. I felt like an idiot. Of all the things I was afraid of in the world, this type of situation had never been one of them. I never really gave much thought to physical affection because I deemed it unnecessary and messy. The only physical contact I received when I was a teenager was being pushed around or being thrown into the lockers at school. I abhorred most hugs and other types of physical contact, though I'm not sure why. I didn't really have a traumatic childhood experience or anything. I've always been that way, ever since I can remember.

The one thing I did know was, I had never been more embarrassed in my life. I could feel the red rush of blood as it colored my face. I silently thanked God that the room was filled with shadows, so she couldn't see my face. I scrambled for something to say.

"Um... er… where's your bathroom?" I stuttered stupidly.

She sighed in defeat. "Go down the hall, first door on your left." She murmured regretfully.

Yeah. I felt really dumb.

I turned quickly on my heels and headed for her bathroom. I had to get away before I lost it completely. If there was one out of all the million things I hated, the one I hated most would be feeling out of control of myself. I turned into the bathroom and nearly slammed the door shut, not bothering to turn a light on. There were small windows near the ceiling and a large skylight that allowed the midnight sun to pour its light into the shadows of the bathroom. I slid down the door, and rested my head on my knees. What am I supposed to do? I can't just walk back in there and be all like 'hey, sorry about that. I've never kissed a girl [i]_ever_[/i], and I'm 23 years old.' How pathetic am I?

I banged my head against the door in frustration. This was probably my one chance at something with someone I could never have ever imagined wanting me… and here I was sulking in her bathroom. No—here I was throwing a tantrum. As much as I wanted to get up and rush back to her, there was just as much or more of me that screamed for me to run away from this place. The paranoia that I'd been keeping at bay, was now fighting its way to the surface in me. I took in a short, stressed breath and then huffed it out into the shadows that surrounded me. Reality couldn't fight with the logic in my brain this time. As much as I knew that Rosaleen had been showing me affection—not because she was forced to, or bribed to—but because she wanted to. Logic had to look for another reason. [i]_She's just tired, or she's lonely because she hasn't seen her friends in over four days, or it's just the pain medication._[/i]

Suddenly the room spun around and I felt that probing feeling I had fought off in the hospital. [i]_What the hell is wrong with me?_[/i] I couldn't even remember the last time that I'd felt this conflicted or confused. Sure, high school had been hell on earth, but I had learned to not become attached. I suppose that's what turned me into the apathetic, nearly friendless, hermit I was these days— but I never suffered heartache. Rarely was I confused, and I liked it that way. Life was so much simpler that way.

I groaned as the ache in my head began to spread to the rest of my body.

"Ahhh" I grunted. _I have to get the fuck out of here._ My head felt like it was going to implode if I didn't get out of here fast.

I struggled to get to my feet; I grasped the door knob and used the wall as leverage and lifted myself. The room spun around once more but I fought to keep my wits about me. The probing was worse, it was like I could feel someone inside my head, but this time I was too weak to fight the feeling off. I was in too much pain.

I opened the door and stumbled into the hallway, trying to regain my composure. I didn't even look back to where I was sure Rosaleen was staring at me from her bed. I thudded down the hallway, and to the door leading out of her tower suit.

"Gerard?" I heard her call out to me, but I wasn't about to turn back. I had to get out. [i]_Now_[/i]

I continued forward, barely remembering the way that Emmett had brought me through the maze of hallways. Soon I found myself in a foyer that I didn't recognize. I blinked fruitlessly in the darkness, barely noticing the huge door that stood at the end of the room. It had to be the front door of this huge place. I stumbled painfully towards it. With each step, my ears felt like they were closer to pouring blood, my eyes were boiling inside their sockets.

I reached for the handle, when I was blinded by a flash of light. My entire body screamed in pain, and so did I. My stomach lurched to my throat. [i]_God, I think I'm going to throw up.[/_i]

"Where are you going?" I heard someone speak. I couldn't make out who it was; I was too busy trying to regain my wits.

I blinked hard, and tears poured from my eyes. They felt like hot, thick, drops of blood streaming down my face. They burned my eyes. My stomach attacked me again.

"Gerard? Are you okay?" I heard a female voice ask, obvious concern in her voice, but I still couldn't focus. My head throbbed. The probing feeling was stronger than ever.

"I have to leave." I choked out through the tears, the bleeding feeling in my ears became stronger.

"Why?" I recognized Rosaleen's voice, but I still couldn't turn to look at any of them.

The world was a blur in this moment. Nothing much matters if your brain is about to explode. I reached for the door handle, grasped it, and ripped it open with as much force as I could muster.

I made it two feet out the door when the nausea consumed me. I doubled over and hurled the contents of my stomach onto—whatever it was I was standing on. It could have been gold or marble for all I knew. My head and ears began to hurt even worse at my bending over—if that was possible. I fell to my knees, in the pile of my own vomit, and forced my face into the ground, trying to release the pressure building up in my head.

"Gerard!" several people gasped.

"Edward, what's wrong with him?" I heard a male ask.

"I don't know" someone answered in frustration.

"Jasper?"

"I can't grasp the emotions… it's too much for me to bear."

I thudded my head against what I now realized was concrete, once more. No relief. Nothing. The pain consumed my body once more.

"Alice?"

"I can't see him. I don't know what's going on."

"Frankie?"

My head filled with a new sharp sensation of probing—I knew I couldn't bare much more of this. I rocked my body back and forth. I knew I had to get away from here.

I began to crawl away, in the direction of the street, hoping that relief would come with distance.

"Gerard! No!" I heard someone boom.

I felt a cold hand grasp my shoulder, and suddenly I was face to face with Emmett. He held me by my shoulders and began to pull me back towards the house.

"No. Stop." I demanded weakly, pushing on his cold chest with feeble hands.

I felt like a [i]weebles wobble, but they don't fall down [/i]figure. I couldn't bear the weight of my own head.

"Frankie?" I heard someone say again, more frustrated this time.

A pang ran through my entire being, from my toes and stopping at my brain. A new wave of nausea hit me like a punch in the guts.

"Emmett!" I heard someone gasp, but he must have anticipated my vomiting, because he nearly threw me across the yard.

I landed with a soft, _thud_ in the grass— I don't know how many feet away from him. I heaved into the grass, my body becoming more weak by the second. I needed to get away from here, at any cost, if I were to live through the next few minutes.

The sharp pain cut my ability to concentrate down by half, but I was slowly formulating a plan of escape, while my unlikely spectators watched me heave on their front lawn; diverting their attention for at least a few minutes.

I struggled to my knees, and then carefully to my feet, fighting the pain back. I had never felt so tortured in my life.

I took one swift glance in the direction of my audience. There stood Rosaleen, closest in proximity—she looked afraid and unable to come closer. Her nose was wrinkled up in the same way it had the day I first met her, when she had pointed out that I was bleeding. My curious nature distracted me from the throbbing presence in my brain, and I let my eyes wonder down my body. I swiped my hands over my chest and stomach—and suddenly a swift [i]new[/i] pain charged in my body, but not through it, the way the mental pain had. I held my hands out in front of me for mere seconds, and I realized that my palms were almost literally gushing blood. How did that happen? I didn't remember scraping my hands against anything sharp or anything… How odd.

I looked back to her, then past her, to her bewildered-looking family. It truly was odd seeing these strangely beautiful, graceful, surreal people look awkward and confused. [i]Damn, leave it to me to be the one to make even the most hospitable, endearing people feel awkward.[/i]

That's when I noticed Edward, standing with an unfathomable expression, bite back a laugh. This time I threw caution to the wind and sent him the most hateful glare I could muster. I couldn't care less at this point in time if he liked me or not—but the frustration and annoyance took my attention off the awful pangs of anguish in my mind.

Then it hit me. I wasn't physically in pain. It was purely mental. Just the torture was [i]so[/i] freakishly painful, it made my physical body sick. When I was distracted mentally, I could use more of my physical abilities—like seeing straight, or standing upright.

I reveled in this knowledge. I don't know why it pleased me so to be able to make the distinction in such a timely manner; but now I could get away with a little less trouble than I had anticipated.

I took one more swift look to my surroundings. I wouldn't usually think of myself as stealthy, but for some reason, I felt differently about running than I ever had in my life. I felt like I could run a marathon—were it to get me away from this mental anguish.

They were all standing in the yard, just watching me, with dumbstruck faces.

Only was Emmett brave enough, or curious (I might never know which when it comes to him, there's just something inherently honest about this guy) enough to begin to approach me again.

The probing stab in my mind distracted me from watching Emmett, and I closed my eyes, burying my face in my hands—"Please STOP!" I screamed. I lifted my head, and turned around and began to make a run for it.

I felt a cold hand grasp my arm, holding me to my place of torture, and it angered me more than I could ever remember. Anger wasn't even the word for it. I was… [i]enraged[/i].

I stopped deathly still, and turned abruptly to face whoever had my arm, and pushed my open palm toward my capture's chest as hard as I could. The reaction was something I hadn't expected, and neither was it what my audience had expected either.

A cry of pain wailed through the air, and a crash of what sounded like scraping metal followed seconds after. I opened my eyes, not realizing that I had them clenched shut, to see Emmett on the ground, thirty yards away, writhing in pain.

I looked to Rosaleen's face, her green eyes now clouded with astonishment, and even fear. Had I done that? How did this happen? Her expression of fear shamed me more than anything else—but I couldn't let that keep me here. I had to get away, to find someplace where my mind could rest, without the sharp stab of the probing.

I turned, not bothering to assess the damage done to Emmett, and ran as fast as I could down the street. I didn't even stop to read street signs. I couldn't stop. What had I just done? What was happening to me?


	10. Sunday Bloody Sunday

Sorry this has been so long in the making. I just finished chapter ten yesterday and I'll start working on eleven today. Enjoy this on your first day in the brand new year!

Song of the day: Sunday Bloody Sunday, by Paramore

Song of inspiration: Map of the Problematique, by Muse

**Chapter Nine**

Sunday Bloody Sunday

_Fear and panic in the air  
I want to be free  
From desolation and despair_

I ran until the scenery changed from suburbs to slums. Not that the slums were a safe place for anyone at any point during the day, but especially not for someone as prone to accident as me—at night even. But I didn't care. I swept the paranoid thoughts of being mugged into the back of my mind. I didn't have a clue as to where I was, but I didn't really think about that either. All I could focus on was the absence of pain in my mind, and the completely bizarre events that had just occurred.

I rounded a corner and stopped at the crosswalk of a major intersection. LA had a notorious and flashy night life, and I happened to be on a street corner where it was most lively. I looked to my left and saw a group of women, scantily clad, eyeing me up and down. I groaned inwardly. The last thing I wanted to do tonight was to be approached by a hooker.

Suddenly I found the thought insanely hilarious. I bit back a curl of laughter, smothering my mouth with my hand, and shuttered in my chuckle.

This had to be the most insane night of my life. I ran through tonight's events and it seemed like meeting Rosaleen's family in her hospital room had been eons ago. I remembered the conversations, the glares from Edward, and the comforting glances from Esme, Bella, and Rosaleen; Emmett's brotherly smile, and Frankie and Jasper's polite distance.

I was so deep in thought, that I barely noticed the woman approach me.

"Hey there handsome." The woman said, obviously attempting to seduce me with her sultry voice.

_Oh boy. Here we go_

I turned to her, and gave her a disinterested, curt nod, and then resumed staring at the street light. Hoping it would turn to 'walk' before she could pursue this hopeless venture with me further.

I wasn't so lucky.

"Are you alone tonight?" she prompted further, running her manicured hand down my left arm.

I pulled away in disgust, but pulled a tight smile across my face, so as to not offend her. I would be the only poor bastard that got assaulted by a prostitute, and then get arrested.

She raised an eyebrow at my movement, and eyed me up and down, obviously intrigued by what she saw. I briefly onced over myself, smoothing out my shirt with my palms—the realization hit me like a ton of bricks. I held my palms out before my face, and studied them. Mere minutes before they had been gushing with blood, mangled—and now not even a scratch marked where I had fallen or scraped my palms. My mind was reeling with the revelation, barely noticing that someone had stepped beside me.

"No. He's with me." A familiar voice broke through my trance and I looked up to see Rosaleen standing next to me, a feral look in her eyes.

"Oh is that right?" the woman purred, amused with Rosaleen's protective stance beside me. I, too, was awaiting her answer to that question.

Rosaleen tilted her head to the side, a smirk appearing on her lovely face.

"Yes that is correct, so if you'd like to live to see your next costumer, I would suggest you backing away from him." Venom coated every word that she spoke, and I was taken aback by the menacing tone in her voice.

At this moment, Rosaleen no longer resembled the lovely, fragile apple blossom that I had first imagined, but a wonderfully fierce lioness, ready to spring the first thing that threatened what was rightfully hers.

Pleasure at this idea rippled through my body, and I was on the edge of that hysterical happiness I had felt in the hallway of the hospital today, with Julie and Ray.

The only thing I could do was smile in euphoric pleasure as the woman coward back at Rosaleen's glowering expression. I probably looked like an idiot, but I didn't care—but I did make a mental note that being with _just_ Rosaleen was good for my state of being. No mental pain or anguish. No throwing full grown men, twice my size, thirty feet across a yard in the middle of the night.

She turned and took off past the rest of the scantily clad women, not taking time to even speak to them or glance back at us.

I looked to Rosaleen, who was smiling ruefully, obviously very pleased with herself.

"How did you get here so fast?" she asked, turning to face me. The neon lights of the night shown on her face in a brilliant display of colors.

"I ran?" I half-asked, half-answered.

"I've never seen anyone move that fast Gerard. Believe me. I would know fast."

I let out a sigh of slight frustration. She was being unbelievably cryptic.

I looked at her, a bewildered expression surely plastered to my features. "What do you mean?" I asked, huffing another sigh.

"Gerard. Do you know where we are?" she asked, sounding dumbfounded.

I eyed her quizzically. "Somewhere past downtown?" I half-asked again, chagrin blushing across my cheeks.

Her mouth fell open. I wasn't expecting that.

"Gerard! WE ARE NINE MILES FROM MY COMPLEX! IT TOOK YOU LESS THAN FOUR MINUTES TO REACH THIS SPOT!" she shouted at me, her arms flailing spastically as she was rife with stress; obviously upset that I couldn't put two and two together and get four.

I reached out and put a calming hand on her face, she allowed her arms to fall to her sides. I drew her in to my chest in a bone-crushing hug. Somehow I had the feeling that something would be keeping me from her, and soon.

She grasped me tightly, planting small, passionate kisses behind my ear and in my hair. I shivered at the contact of her lips on my skin. She ran her fingers through my hair roughly, pulling my earlobe into her mouth. I couldn't breathe, my heart was battering in my chest once more, and then she abruptly stopped.

She took a step back from me and held something dark and crumpled in her right hand. It almost looked like string.

"What is that?" I asked, my voice husky.

A dimple formed between both of her eyebrows as she furrowed them in confusion. She held her hand closer to her face in order to get a better look.

"It, it looks like…stitches" she stuttered, raising an eyebrow.

My hands immediately flew to the back of my head to check for any open wounds. I felt nothing, no blood, no stitches, not even any scars. Just my soft black hair, and my scalp.

This night just kept getting even more bizarre.

"Huh. That's interesting." I held my hand out to her, motioning for her to give me the stitches. She obliged me, stepping closer to me in the process.

"What? What's going on?" she asked, her voice in a high worried trill.

"I'm… I'm not entirely sure. But those were the stitches the doctor put on my head four days ago… and now there is nothing there on my head. Not ever a scar." I pondered that for a moment, and a sudden déjà vu swept over my entire being. I'd been here before. I was sure of that. I couldn't figure out how I had gotten to this point, or remember where it took me in the future, but I knew that I had traveled this road before.

I sighed loudly, closing my eyes and trying to remember where I should go from here.

Where is here?

That was a good question.

Nine miles? Really? And if I did get that far, in only four minutes, which would have meant that I ran faster than any human alive. How was Rosaleen here? Was she like me? If I ran that fast, which definitely not normal, then how did she get here?

Opening my eyes, I stared questioningly at her.

"Why are you freaking out? If I ran that fast, and you suddenly show up right beside me, not even two minutes later, then you must have run behind me." I eyed her with suspicion. There was definitely a lot here that she wasn't telling me.

She took a step back, her eyes widening.

"Um, uh…" she stuttered for a brief second, then regained her composure with a haughty demeanor. "I thought I was asking the questions. _You_ are the one that vomited on my front doorstep, nearly knocked out Emmett, and then ran from us." She stated in rebuttal, crossing her arms like a pouting child.

My mouth went slack-jawed. _You_ _know, she's right. She probably came to find out if you're alright._ I shook my head at the sudden change of thoughts and the slight wave of discomfort that came with it.

Damn. This girl was really getting to me.

"So what exactly is going on with you?" she stepped closer to me, once more.

What was going on with me? I hadn't the slightest clue, other than the immense déjà vu that swept over me every few seconds. I looked around the street corner that we now stood, and suddenly my eyes flashed back to a similar situation. A bright sunny day, the street lined with dogwoods and elm trees in full bloom.

I shook my head and the vision vanished as suddenly as it came. The racket passing cars and club-goers made just seemed to be getting louder and louder. I couldn't even begin to think about anything I wanted to say to her; much less have an intelligent conversation.

"Let's go somewhere else, please." I stated in an urgent, flat tone. I could feel a different pressure building up in my head, it was only an echo of the preceding pain, but it still hurt.

"Alright. Where would you like to go?" she stood impossibly close to me, reached up on her tip toes and brushed her lips gently across my cheek. The warm rush of blood raced up to my face and my eyes met hers—and in that moment the world's center changed. A jolt of something stronger than any electrical current that has ever existed burned through me hotter than liquid lava. Our eyes were glued together, and I could feel the heat coming off her in waves, but I couldn't speak, I couldn't move, I couldn't even breathe. All I could do was stare into her eyes that seemed to be molten with the extreme heat pouring between us, and listen to the sound of our resounding heartbeats.

The blare of a fire truck siren knocked us out of our trance; I stumbled back a few feet, never taking my eyes off Rosaleen, and saw her plop down ever-so-gracefully onto her bottom. She looked up to me with astonishment in her eyes and raised her hands to me. I reached out to grab her without the slightest hesitation. The moment my skin touched hers, an electrifying sensation passed from my fingers to hers. She jumped back in shock, and I stood there, numb. My skin felt like it was crawling, buzzing, and moving all on its own. I could feel things changing, re-arranging inside of me.

"Gerard?" she asked meekly. I looked up to see that she was now standing a few feet away, a wary, confused look on her face.

"What?" I asked, a rippling feeling flowing from my core, to my limbs and out through all my fingers and toes. It was peaceful in an odd, sort of alarming way.

"You're…you… you're glowing." She stuttered, shaking her head. She didn't look horrified, like one would expect someone to react to this type of situation, but like she'd seen many a things in her day, just nothing like this before.

I took a cautious step towards her, reaching my hand out for her to take. She eyed me in a slightly alarming way, biting her bottom lip in hesitation. I closed my eyes slowly and allowed the peace to flow from within me, to her body. As soon as it left my body I felt her hand grasp mine in a quiet desperation that I'd never felt before. She grasped my hand stronger than anything I had felt before, but there was no pain. I took one large step towards her, aligning our bodies together, and rested my forehead on hers.

"I… I know I've been here before, but I'm not sure what happens. I don't want you to be afraid, but I need to go figure this out. I need to know what happens."

I opened my eyes to find her dazzling green staring back at me. "Will you allow me a few days to get this under control. Then I will come to you and tell you all that I know."

She nodded, seeming almost hypnotized. I gave a slight smile at her confused face, and heaved a sigh, releasing her hands from mine. I backed one step away, and suddenly her arms were wrapped around me once more.

"Don't go. Not yet." She begged into the crook of my neck.

I could feel my resolve to leave melting right there in her arms. Why do I have to be so weak for this strange girl who's almost gotten me killed twice and just now saved me from being assaulted by a hooker?

I chuckled slightly, kissing into her hair. "The park's not that far. I'll race you." I challenged, pulling away from her, a grin appearing on my face.

Rosaleen giggled and kissed my cheek. "You're on."


End file.
